Football training shoe



Aug. l, 1967 J. w.| 1v|NGsToN FOOTBALL TRAINING SHOE JoHNWNsw-DNLIWNGSTGN BY mam, @ummm L' Filed June 8, 1965 United States Patent O 3,333,352 FOOTBALL TRAINING SHOE John Winston Livingston, 807 Randall St., East Gadsden, Ala. 35901 Filed June 8, 1965, Ser. No. 462,173

Claims. (Cl. 36-2.5)

ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A weighted shoe having an upper sole ply and a bottom sole ply sandwiching an apertured weight retaining ply with a stitfener beneath and adjacent the weights and cleat studs projecting through the sole structure.

This invention relates in general to shoe footwear for athletes and more particularly to the provision of supplying weighted members within the soles of `the footwear for the purpose of strengthening and developing muscles during training periods and 4through proper use, to develop greater speed, quickness of movement and running power.

By carrying excess Weight in the athletic footwear during training periods, the athlete is forced to give extra added effort to all movements to overcome the effect the Weight has upon these movements. In training with the footwear of this type the athlete will develop greater endurance and streng-th and will develop into a better overall and more durable athlete. In the game of football the most likely pla-ce of injury is to the legs and a device as anticipated in this invention will prevent a great many of these injuries byconditioning the athletes legs to a superior state than is now possible.

Therefore, an object of this invention is the provision of an athletic shoeto be worn during training sessions which has included in its Weighted members for developing the athletes endurance and strength.

Another object of this invention is the provision of athletic footwear having a sandwiched sole construction in which weights are placed.

Another object of this invention is a novel sole construction for athletic footwear having a multi-ply construction which holds and conceals weighted members placed within the sole construction.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Idrawings showing only a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a bottom plan view of the athletic footwear of the present invention showing a portion thereof broken away to reveal lthe inner sole construction;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the footwear of the present invention showing a cross-sectional View of the sole construction; and

FIGURE 3 is a partial exploded perspective view of the sole construction.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, the athletic footwear or shoe is indicated by the numeral 10. In the description hereof, the shoe .is depicted as one used for the game of football, but it should be noted that any particular type of athletic footwear may be easily adapted to the principles of the invention. The shoe 10 comprises generally uppers 11 and a shoe sole combination 12. The uppers 11 are of normal design of the type which are to be secured to fit the foot by means of laces 13.

The sole combination 12 generally comprises a sandwiched construction having an upper sole ply 14, a spacer sole ply 15, shoe weights 16, a cleat stifener plate 17, and

' a bottom sole ply 18. Aiiixed to the bottom of the bottom sole 18 are a plurality of cleats 19 having the normal intended purpose. Maintaining the cleats 19, atiixed to the bottom sole 18 are cleat studs 21 which project from the upper sole ply 14 down through the intermediate sole plies through the lower sole ply 18 and terminating exteriorly thereof. The cleat studs 21 are normally threaded at their lower ends as indicated by numeral 22, which threaded portion is receivable within the cleats 19. The cleat stud head 23 is so positioned within the upper sole ply 14 as to be flush with the upper surface of the last mentioned sole ply.

The cleat studs 21 may project through the shoe weights 16, the cleat stiffener plat 17 and the bottom sole ply 18, and there is provided within each of these sole plies a plurality of cleat stud holes which are vertically aligned with one another to receive the respective cleat studs.

The spacer sole ply 15 has a peripheral extent which is no greater than the upper sole ply 14. However, within the internal portion of the spacer sole ply there are a number of weight receiving recesses indicated by numerals 24a, 24b, 24e. These weight recesses may be of any desired configuration; however, they must conform to the configuration of the individual weights 16 which will be molded to tit the receiving recesses 24a, 24b, 24e. Therefore, the spacer sole ply 15 comprises a sole having a plurality of apertures encompassed by marginal side edges 25 which maintain .the shoe weights in the desired position and also maintains them concealed.

The shoe weights 16 are of suitable size and numbers. However, in the present invention there is contemplated a series of three weights shown as a toe weight 16a, an arch weight 16b, and a heel weight 16e. These weights would fit within the respective weight receiving apertures of the spacer sole ply 15.

In order to maintain the shoe weights Within the spacer sole play and to prevent displacement and wobble of the cleat studs 21, there is provided one or more cleat stifener plates 17, each of which are in registry with one of the shoe weights 16. The plates 17 are designed to be of the same configuration as the weights and will receive the cleat studs 21 through the cleat stud holes as has been noted above. These plates prevent any ydisplacement `of the cleat studs and maintains them in the desired position with respect to the shoe. So that the cleat stiffener plate 17 Will itself not be displaced, there is provided integral with the stitfener plates, downwardly pointing holding tabs 26 which engage the relatively soft bottom sole ply 18. This will prevent displacement of the cleat stilfener plates 17 and maintain them in proper alignment with respect to the cleat studs 21.

In constructing the shoe 10 the uppers 11 are first stitched to the upper sole ply 14 and then the spacer sole ply 1'5 is positioned in the correct manner with respect to the upper sole ply 14. At this time the `desired amount and number of weights 16 would be placed within the receiving apertures 24, after which the cleat stiifener plates 17 would positioned over the weights 16. The bottom sole ply 18 would then be aixed to the previously completed sole construction and then an ordinary sole stitcher would be employed to stitch the upper sole ply 14, the marginal edges 25 of the spa-cer sole ply 15 and the bottom sole ply 18 together in a unitary construction. The sole stitching is indicated by the numeral 27. It would then be only a simple matter to apply the cleats 19 in proper engagement with the cleat studs 21.

As can be seen, the present shoe provides a weigh-ted sole for athletic use in which the weights are securely maintained within a sandwiched sole construction and concealed from view. It is also within the scope of this invention that, under certain conditions, it may be desired not to stitch the various soles together `to form a unitary structure, but rather leave the sole unstitched and held together solely by a plurality of cleats which may be removed to change the amount of Weights to be Worn Within the shoe. Although the drawing and description has been directed to shoes and to cleat construction particularly adapted for playing football, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular type of shoe or cleats. The lterm cleats also embodies spikes and similar devices used in track, eld and other types of athletic shoes.

While I have particularly shown and described one particular embodiment of the invention, it is distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but that modifications may be -made Within the scope of the invention and such variations as are covered by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A Weighted shoe comprising an upper portion and a shoe sole combination portion being attached to the upper portion, the sole combination portion having a multi-ply construction, which comprises an upper sole ply aixed to the upper portion of the shoe, a spacer sole -ply positioned adjacent to and in registry wi-th the upper sole ply, at least one Weight receiving recess in the spacer sole ply, marginal side edges of the spacer sole ply completely enclosing the periphery of the weight receiving recess, `a thin stiffener sole plate ply overlying the weight receiving recess of the spacer sole ply and weighted means carried in the concealed weight receiving recess within the sole combination portion.

2. A Weighted shoe comprising an upper portion and a shoe sole combination portion being attached to the upper portion, the sole combination portion having a multi-ply construction which comprises an upper sole ply ai'lxed to the upper portion of the shoe, a spa-cer sole ply positioned adjacent to and in registry with the upper sole ply, at least one Weight receiving recess in the spacer sole ply, marginal side edges of the spacer sole ply completely enclosing the periphery of the weight receiving recess, a thin stifrener sole plate ply overlying the Weight receiving recess of the spacer sole ply, a bottom sole ply overlying the stiffener sole plate ply and being adjacent to and in registry with the marginal edges of the spacer sole ply and Weighted means carried in the concealed Weight receiving recess Within `the sole combination portion.

3. A weighted shoe comprising an upper portion and a shoe sole combination portion being attached to the upper portion, the sole combination portion having a multi-ply construction Which comprises an upper sole ply affixed to the upper portion of the show, a spacer sole ply positioned adjacent to and in registry With the upper sole ply, at least one Weight receiving recess in the spacer sole ply, marginal side edges of the spacer sole ply completely enclosing the periphery of the weight receiving recess, a thin stiiener sole plate ply overlying the Weight receiving recess of the spacer sole ply, the stiffener sole plate ply being of rigid material, a bottom sole ply overlying the stiener sole plate ply and being adjacent to and in registry With the marginal edges of the spacer sole ply and Weighted means carried in the concealed Weight receiving recess Within the sole combination portion, the upper sole ply having a plurality of apertures therein to receive cleat studs, the studs projecting through the entire sole combination and terminating exteriorly thereof.

4. A weighted shoe comprising an upper portion and a shoe sole combination portion being attached to the upper portion, the sole combination portion having a multi-ply construction Which comprises an upper sole ply aixed to the upper portion of the shoe and Weighted means carried in a concealed weight receiving recess within the sole combination portion, the upper sole ply having a plurality of aperatures therein to receive cleat studs, the studs projecting through the entire sole combination and terminating exteriorly thereof 5. A weighted football shoe comprising an upper portion and a shoe sole combination portion being attached to the upper portion, the sole combination portion being formed in a multi-ply construction, said multi-ply construction comprising an upper sole ply aixed to the upper portion of the shoe, a spacer sole ply positioned adjacent to and in registry with the upper sole ply, at least one Weight receiving recess in the spacer sole ply, marginal side edges of the spacer sole ply completely enclosing the periphery ofthe weight receiving recess, thin stifener sole plate ply overlying the Weight receiving recess of the spacer sole ply, a plurality of cleat studs extending through said sole combination and terminating on the exterior of said sole combination, a cleat attached to each stud and Weighted means carried in the Iconcealed weight receiving Within the sole -combination portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,990,970 2/1935 Wood 36-25 2,233,241 2/1941 Brady 36-59 2,304,936 12/ 1942 Lewis 36-30 2,3 85,690 9/1945 Codish 36-30 2,545,910 3/1951 Aprile 36-2.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,221,716 6/1960 France.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

5. A WEIGHTED FOOTBALL SHOE COMPRISING AN UPPER PORTION AND A SHOE SOLE COMBINATION PORTION BEING ATTACHED TO THE UPPER PORTION, THE SOLE COMBINATION PORTION BEING FORMED IN A MULTI-PLY CONSTRUCTION, SAID MMULTI-PLY CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING AN UPPER SOLE PLY AFFIXED TO THE UPPER PORTION OF THE SHOE, A SPACER SOLE PLY POSITIONED ADJACENT TO AND IN REGISTRY WITH THE UPPER SOLE PLY, AT LEAST ONE WEIGHT RECEIVING RECESS IN THE SPACER SOLE PLY, MARGINAL SIDE EDGES OF THE SPACER SOLE PLY COMPLETELY ENCLOSING THE PERIPHERY OF THE WEIGHT RECEIVING RECESS, THIN STIFFENER SOLE PLATE PLY OVERLYING THE WEIGHT RECEIVING RECESS OF THE SPACER SOLE PLY, A PLURALITY OF CLEAT STUDS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SOLE COMBINATION AND TERMINATING ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SOLE COMBINATION, A CLEAT ATTACHED TO EACH STUD AND WEIGHTED MEANS CARRIED IN THE CONCEALED WEIGHT RECEIVING WITHIN THE SOLE COMBINATION PORTION. 